 |
| |
Paint Company Offers Cross-Marketing Program
The Sherwin-Williams Co., which sells house paint to consumers, and Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp. have joined forces on a cross-marketing program for customers of collision repair shops that use Sherwin-Williams' finishes.Under the A-Plus program, collision repair shops that use Sherwin-Williams' finishes are provided discount cards for use at Sherwin-Williams' consumer retail stores. Each A-Plus collision repair facility may present one “Lasting Impressions card,” which is valid for two years, to each customer upon completion of his or her vehicle's repair.
Information Provider Restructures
Mitchell International has announced a structural reorganization. The restructure is designed to allow the company to operate more efficiently during an anticipated period of accelerated growth, to focus on new business initiatives, and to better serve its customers.The change will move Mitchell away from an emphasis on business unit divisions and reorganize the company by functions. Additions to the organization include e-business, international and legal groups. Exceptions to the restructure are Mitchell's Boeckh division because of its distance from San Diego and focus on property vs. automotive insurance, and the National Auto Glass Specifications (NAGS) division because of its position in the world of glass.
Junkyard Wars Coming to TV
If they have cable television, shop owners and technicians alike may want to watch a show coming up July 5, 12 and 19 on The Learning Channel (TLC). Junkyard Wars is a British series that TLC will soon bring to American audiences. The program involves three-person teams in mechanical competition.The teams are limited only by their imagination and mechanical ability. At dawn, contestants gather in the middle of a junkyard and learn of the day's mission. It might be to build a cannon, a crane, a tractor, or whatever the producers feel like assigning that day. Each team is assigned one expert in that day's challenge field. They then have until sunset to design and build a working machine with the tools and parts found in the surrounding scrap heaps. They come up with a plan, race to get the best parts, and construct their make-do masterpieces. Work halts at sunset. At sunup the next day, the teams compete to see whose product is best.
In addition to following the competition, viewers are given lessons into the basics of how complex machines work.
Mileage, Emissions Data Available
The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have launched a Web site that provides gas mileage and greenhouse gas emissions numbers for every model year 2000 car and light truck. For more information about cars and the environment, visit the site at www.fueleconomy.gov.MEMA/AAIA Rename Show
The Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) is the new name for the MEMA/AAIA show held during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW), Oct. 31-Nov. 3, 2000, at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas.AAPEX is sponsored jointly by the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA).
Held in conjunction with Industry Week, the 2000 Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) will take place Nov. 2-4 at the Tropicana Hotel. Sponsored annually by the Automotive Service Association (ASA), CARS offers management and technical education courses.
CCI/Triad Enhances Database Program
CCI/Triad has announced the PartExpert Database Partner Program, which is designed to improve the speed of distributing electronic catalog information and increase new part sales for manufacturers in the automotive aftermarket.Mark Aviles, president of CCI/Triad, said the program allows manufacturers to get updated aftermarket parts information distributed more rapidly, while maintaining accuracy and usability. This initiative allows manufacturers to feed new parts information directly from their system into the CCI/Triad database via the CCI/Triad Valid Combination Tables.
Rotary Lift Celebrates 75 Years
Rotary Lift, a division of Dover Industries Inc., marks its 75th anniversary this year. The company was founded in 1925 by mechanic Peter Lunati, inventor of the first automotive hydraulic lift. Rotary is certified to ISO9001 quality standards.Mild Weather Means Fewer Calls to AAA
AAA reports that it answered 28.6 million calls for emergency road service in 1999. The total represents a decline of more than one million calls from the previous year, although AAA membership increased during the same period by more than one million members. AAA attributes the decline in emergency road service calls to milder weather in 1999 than in 1998. Years in which there are prolonged extremes of hot or cold weather increase the incident rate for vehicle breakdowns.
AutoInc. Magazine ® Vol.XLVIII, June 2000 E-mail: asainfo@asashop.org, Web Site: http://www.asashop.org Copyright © 2000 Automotive Service Association (ASA). All rights reserved.